Chelsea hero makes ‘first move’ to leave the club

Eden Hazard has made ‘the first move’ towards leaving Chelsea by publicly declaring his interest in a switch to Real Madrid, claims Spanish newspaper AS.

The Belgian has made no secret of the attraction that Los Blancos holds over recent days, which could be interpreted as him opening the door for the reigning Champions League winners to make a formal bid for his services.

“Sometimes in my head, I wake up in the morning and think I want to go. Sometimes I think I want to stay,” Hazard is quoted as saying in The Guardian.

“Real Madrid is the best club in the world,” he continued.

“I don’t want to lie today. It is my dream since I was a kid.

“I was dreaming about this club. We will see.”

Hazard has been in exceptional form since the start of the new season, notching eight goals and providing a further three assists in 10 appearances for Chelsea.

The 27-year-old seems to be flourishing under new manager Maurizio Sarri, who has implemented a high-octane, attractive style of play since his appointment over the summer.

However, even the fact that Hazard is seemingly enjoying his football more than at any point in his career may not be enough to persuade him that his long-term future remains at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus in July, Madrid have not signed a direct replacement, fuelling speculation that they could be holding out for a major star from one of Europe’s top leagues.

Paris Saint-Germain pair Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have also been mentioned, but Hazard’s words are likely to stoke the flames further.

He was on target as Chelsea struck three past Southampton at the weekend, the Blues continuing their fine start to the campaign.

They face Manchester United at home a week on Saturday when the teams return from the international break.

Writer at Ninety Minutes Online, lifelong Aston Villa fan and passionate about all things football. Based near Coventry, England and studied English Literature at the University of Essex for three years between 2011-2014.

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